Annual Review and IEP Question

My son has a statement of SEN and the annual review is coming up next week. I have been told that none of the external professionals (SLT / EP / Medical / OT...) are attending. It is only the school (Class teacher, headteacher and SENCO) and LEA rep. When I asked if I could have copies of their reports, I was told there are no reports either. Surely this is not normal and whats the point of having an annual review? The LEA will perhaps try and stop the provisions.

I was given copies of IEPs but they too seem very vague. My understanding of conventional IEP is that they should only record what is over and above differentiated curriculum. I found that my son's IEP has curricular / literacy targets included and when I questioned I was told this is "curriculum based IEP". Can anyone please enlighten me what this IEP is and whether this is good or bad (The current IEP misses many requirements from Part-3 of statement).

We have very few other professionals attending our annual reviews now-it's usually me (Senco), one parent and the class teacher, maybe the 1:1 TA if they can be released. The EPs rarely come any more and no one from health-they just have too much other work on. I do usually get a fairly recent report though, can you push more for that?

I have no children with statements left in my school-they've all been transferred over to EHCPs now-is this a transfer review?

How old is your DC ? My DC had external agencies attending the Annual Review up until DC was 7/8. After that - nobody, apart from us (parents), Senco, TA and teacher. However,they should definitely provide reports

Reviews are standard but because of work pressure external agencies can only come if a) something major needs to change on the statement , like the school wants to change the amount of support (small changes are just noted on paperwork and sent in the the LA who issue an updated statement automatically), or B) the child is at a transition point, usually year 5 or year 9, in which case the LA rep will attend.

It isn't standard to get updated reports if the statement is meeting needs or if only minor changes are required (eg changing outcomes slightly, such as 'reading age of 7:0' to 'reading age of 8:5' or whatever). It just isn't feasible. A report requires updated assessments / observations and you are looking at a day and a half of EP time. If you have, say, 5 children with statements in a large primary if you had to complete a reassessment and report every year as an ED psych, you would never have time for any new children.

Btw almost all statements are phased out now....Your child should be moving pretty soon to an ehcp.

Also the fact no one is attending means they aren't wanting to stop support. Destatementing is extremely rare and that would require updated reports! Almost certainly it's because people feel the provision bring offered is meeting g his needs well. If you disagree you should contact your local parent partnership to see if they can accompany you to the meeting.

The IEPs should detail the special provision, according to my understanding, that is made for your DC (that is how the school is meeting the needs as laid out in the Statement). If your Statement has quantification the school needs to show how they meet these quantified requirements. Ask for a quantified provision map. This will show how the school is spending any additional funding that is attached to the Statement or if no additional funding is attached how close they are to the threshold of having to apply for high needs funding (it was 6k some years ago, which was equivalent to approx 12 hours true 1 to 1 per week - not small groups, if that helps).

My advice is to submit your own report and advice to the LA. Also contact IPSEA, they might have further advice.

@ Whywonttheyletmeusemyusername: My son is 5 years and this is the first annual review.

@ oldbirdy: I am no expert but, If IEP targets are constantly being missed and same targets are carried over since last 18 months or more then there surely is something wrong? Either the target are wrong or the teaching methods needs to be amended. This surely needs a review by someone? IN DS's case the gap is constantly widening..... (Un)fortunately no ehcp for us in wales (or IDP yet). BTW, in England, who writes the IEPs now?

PPS here is a big joke. Our case is slightly complicated. LEA is definitely not looking at destatemeting but include only eclectic methods and cut all ABA. Thats where the fight begins....

@Rockpebblestone: I have same understanding of IEP as yours but my son's IEP include mostly educational outcomes from the curriculum (KS1 and KS2). Only 2 of the 7 objectives included from Part-3 of the statement. I was told this is because my son's IEP is a CURRICULUM BASED IEP...just wondering what that is? Surely the SEN objectives needs to be prioritised over curriculum or am I wrong?

Yes if targets are being missed they should be reviewed, but the school should be able to do this (and you can contribute). It doesn't require an EP to alter targets, EPs describe needs and are usually only brought in if it is felt the actual needs have changed. IEPs no longer have to be written in England I'm not sure if that's the case in Wales (It's a stupid idea to scrap IEPs anyway!)

I don't understand how a Statement can be properly reviewed if there is no paperwork (IEP or provision map) which refers to how the additional needs, as laid out in the Statement, have been met and whether this has been successful or not and how this relates to any change/progression in those additional needs.

I think you might have to take some professional advice. These people might be able to help.

@oldbirdyI understand what you are saying. I am not necessarily looking for the EP to alter targets but what I am saying is the same targets are being carried over from one term to the other. Something seems wrong here.....either the IEP targets or the teaching method. If the school can't figure out which one then someone from external agency need to guide them (not necessarily EP...but I thought EP might be the right person?)

@RockpebblestoneThanks. I will give them a call. Is your PPS (Parent partnership service) an independent (read impartial) one?

I get what you're saying OP . I think, if I remember correctly, they (PP) are connected with the LA - so they will be able to tell you about how the LA interprets the CoP but they will also be careful in an aim smooth over any potential conflicting views, to say the least.

Equally, I don't get how appropriate it is to have a curriculum IEP which, I assume, would show how those needs which impact upon the teaching of a particular curriculum subject are met but not show how needs which could potentially impact every curriculum subject and but also extra curricularly (eg at break-time or assembly or moving from one classroom to another) are met within school.

This is why schools should be doing provision maps, as a matter of course, IMHO. These show the resource set aside to meet a child's additional needs along with how this resource is being utilised. It is sensible, and I would have thought obligatory, as once the resource required to meet a child's additional needs, reaches a certain quantified threshold, extra funds need to be applied for in order High Needs funding. Also these provision maps account for the utilisation of High Needs funding, justifying its necessity.

The school at least should produce a report which should be circulated two weeks before the meeting. The code of practice says that the school should get written advice from anyone they think appropriate - I would have thought that if people like SALTs and OTs are currently working with your child it would make sense to get brief reports from them.

You aren't in Sefton are you? I've had the same thing happen at annual review and I'm progressing to judicial review There were no reports as they aren't complying with the SALT and OT specified in the statement

IEP system in Wales doesn't work for everyone - my lo was actually part of the 'Alternative to Statements' pilot project in 2011 and it worked well right up until it didn't at the start of year 3. As of 3 weeks ago, we're now going ahead with a Statutory Assessment - don't let them try and fob you off if this is the path you want to take. The IEP system has not been passed as law as yet and therefore you can still request a statutory assessment if IEP is not working - not likely to be law for at least another 18 months, and even when it is, existing Statements will still be binding. There's fantastic support and advice available from SNAP Cymru on this - they attended our most recent meeting and put the LEA right in their place when they insisted there was no point in going ahead with statutory assessment given the upcoming changes.